


Camellia

by Librazenith (HerBrazenElegance)



Series: A Girl in the Garden [5]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-17
Updated: 2015-07-17
Packaged: 2018-04-09 18:36:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4359905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerBrazenElegance/pseuds/Librazenith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Two old friends discuss adjusting to their new roles in the Inquisition.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Camellia

**Author's Note:**

> This one probably won't make a ton of sense without reading a previous ficlet from the series on Cade's time pre-conclave. There is also more to come that results from their conversations, but it has yet to be written.

Cade musses up her short, sweaty hair, fanning herself gently in the late afternoon sun after having just gotten done helping Dennett with the horses in Skyhold, when a little fennec runs by with a mouthful of some unfortunate bird from the kitchen and almost trips her up. She's still caught up figuring out where it came from and why when Tethys makes herself known.

“Cadence, my dear,” she says. “My little flower.”

“Sounds like you need something from me,” Cade says, exhaustion deepening. Now is not the time for more polite requests to the inquisitor; now is the time for a drink, a bath, perhaps a massage.

“Oh no, nothing in particular. Just curious what our Herald is up to in her down time.” She smiles genially, looking as innocent as ever.

“Apparently,” she begins slowly. “She's about to warn Josephine that we have scavengers other than Leliana's damn crows making a home out of the hold.” She looks in the general direction that the fox ran, not overly pleased.

“You aren't talking about my little Imekari, are you?”

“Your what? You named it?” Cade asks, incredulous.

“Of course,” Tethys says innocently. “Isn't he precious?”

“You hate animals.”

“He's harmless.”

“He just robbed the kitchen!” Cade stands, hands on her hips, as threateningly as possible in the face of a 7-foot-something tall Qunari, gesturing to the aforementioned scene of crime.

“I'll replace it. Goodness, I wasn't aware there was a pet policy here.”

Cade sighs, knows when she's in a losing argument, and then asks, “What's he bring to the inquisition, Tethys? We can't bring in every stray we find.”

“Well, you let us mages in, didn't you?”

Cade crosses her arms. _That's not the same at all_ , says the look on her face.

Tethys relents.

“He's a companion, Cadence, a boost in morale,” she says. “You know I don't have a lot of those.”

“Bull seems to like you well enough,” Cade says low, giving up this conversation and heading toward the stairs to the upper level. The tavern sounds like a better place to be.

Long-legged Tethys easily walks in step with her. “Really?” She asks, far more interested in this line of thought. “What's he told you?”

With Tethys momentarily at her back, Cade allows herself to smile and shake her head at her friend's fleeting lovesickness. Then she wonders if she behaves similarly when talking about Cullen. Her smiling face slips into something more self-conscious.

“Nothing too damning,” Cade admits. “He's pleased to have another Qunari in the group, especially a mercenary. Seems interested in the fact you don't know much about the Qun.”

“I'm certainly available if he wants to teach,” she says, standing a little more proudly. “But I know that much already. Was there anything else?”

“That's it,” Cade says. She raises an eyebrow at a slightly disheartened Tethys. “It's only been a few weeks that you've known each other. Were you expecting a confession?”

“At the very least.”

“He'll come around,” Cade says encouragingly.

“They always do.”

They've just reached the top of the stairs when Tethys stops under the archway and says, “You know, I'm not used to you being the boss of everything.”

Cade reluctantly turns around. “Funny how things play out. But there wouldn't be much to boss around without everyone's support.”

Tethys puts a hand to her heart and moans in a mock display of hurt. “That's a scripted answer if I've ever heard one.”

Cade laughs and, in the spirit of minding appearances and being careful about what she admits, gets closer to her to say, “Honestly, I barely know what I'm doing, and I'm not used to being the boss either. But somehow I feel that isn't the answer people are looking for from the person with the fate of Thedas in her hands.”

Tethys' face softens and she, with a sort of sad admiration, follows Cade when she turns back to the direction of the tavern.

“You've really got the weight of the world on your shoulders, don't you?”

“Sometimes. But it's nothing compared to all the angry nobles crucifying me for mage sympathy,” Cade says in her playful way. “Closings rifts? No problem. Dragon-slaying? Dangerous, but straightforward, not impossible. Convincing nobles I'm not doing all of it for some kind of – I don't know, a power trip thing? Trying to loose the mages on the world so they can wreak havoc? Fucking nightmare.”

“I'll do my best not to embarrass you, Your Grace.” Tethys does her best impression of a deep, respectful bow. “Starting with the fox, I guess. If you really think he'll cause that much trouble–”

“Keep him,” Cade says amiably. “If we can feed refugees, we can have one little fennec. I'm sure you went through some trouble catching him–”

Her feet are no longer on the ground, and her arms and chest are being uncomfortably squished in what she assumes is an attempt at a loving embrace.

“You're a pushover, my flower.” She puts Cade back on the ground. “Thank you.”

“Don't make me regret it.”

“Have I ever let you down?” She lowers her voice. “But Maker's arse, it's still strange having you as a superior. Times have changed, haven't they?”

“Didn't think I'd make it this far, did you?”

“Not true,” Tethys says, a little sing-song-y. “I knew you'd do good things when the time came, Cadence. But you've surpassed anything I could have dreamt up for you. I'm proud to have you lead me anywhere.”

Cade stares at her, smiling at first like she's just made a joke, unsure of what to say to that. Then she looks away in shame at the hot wash of emotion spreading up behind her eyes.

“Oh no, I've done it now,” Tethys says, but she doesn't hide her smile. She pulls Cade into an embrace once more, this time to help hide her face. It's not entirely effective.

“Don't get all teary-eyed on me now. You're the inquisitor. You have an image to hold up.”

“I don't think crying will hurt me as much as hugging you,” Cade says through her tears and through Tethys' clothes.

“Right, yes. Know your place, Tethys,” she reminds herself, and she lets Cadence go but keeps her hands on her shoulders, looking into her bloodshot eyes. “Look what I've done. If only Corypheus knew your weakness was a little praise,” she adds with a little laugh.

“I'd be done in for sure,” Cade agrees. She wipes away the dark tear tracks running down her cheeks, saying after, “Ugh, my face is a mess.”

“Shall I fix it for you?”

Cade thinks on that for a moment, blinking hard with makeup irritating her eyes. “You sure you don't want to say hi to Bull first?”

“Tempting as it is, I think he can wait. We'll be spending some time together soon enough, I think,” she says with a little wink.

“Then on the condition that I can get drunk in my room... Yeah, let's go.”

“Sounds divine,” Tethys says, and she follows Cade up to her quarters, doing her best to ignore the nosy stares of others.


End file.
